Where To Buy Your e-Book Covers
Visual appeal is the first step toward making a sale online.
People have a great ability to scan a web page quickly before
reading anything about a site. Its important to capitalize on
this aspect by providing a great visual stimulus. e-Book cover
art has come a long way in the past 5 years. High density
graphics can really make your product stand out, labeling it
with a high degree of professionalism and credibility.
Throughout the course of my research into the best design tools
I have uncovered that the saying "you get what you pay for"
holds all too true with cover design. Here is a review of my
results. It is broken down into two categories: (1)software,
and; (2) design services.
Software/Templates
If you perform a search on Google of e-book covers there really
is only a few software products that dominate the first few
pages of results.
(1) eCover Generator by Armand Morin The cost, $97, is about the
price of some personally designed single covers. It is the first
major player is eCover software. You can create 2d and 3d book
and software boxes, and recent upgrades enable you to create cd
and spiral notebook covers as well. No other software needed to
use eCover Generator. Armand is giving away 6 other e-books with
purchase. Very professional looking samples created with this
software. Windows 95/98/2000/ME/XP compatible.
http://www.ecovergenerator.com
(2) eBook Cover Central This is actually a mix between templates
and design service, not software. They will design your cover
starting at $39.95. This is not a bad price considering some
charge upwards of $100. You also receive three different images
sizes of your design. Template packages start at $9.95 for 25
pre-made templates. You only need to insert your text and any
other pictures that you wish to have on the cover. For $49.95
you can purchase a lifetime Gallery membership, entitling you to
over 540 images and templates. http://www.ebookcovercentral.com
(3) Cover Software Pro This software, priced at $97, is actually
a plugin for Adobe Photoshop. So, you need to have it (~$200) in
order to use the software to create your cover. It also comes
with a 40 minute instructional video on using the software to
design not only covers but entire web sites. The samples
displayed at the site look quite nice. Apart from having to
purchase Photoshop, this appears to be a good deal.
http://www.coversoftware.com
(4) Online Web Creations offering free covers without text. All
images are fixed. There is a link through their site to a
utility for adding text. Fairly limited but it is free. These
are not the highest quality images, but I suppose you get what
you pay for! http://www.onlinewebcreations.com/ebooks.html
Design Services
There are more companies offering services to design and produce
a one time cover than there are software products. I cannot tell
one from the other. All appear to produce quality products. I
also am not sure what they use as graphical software, but I
imagine it is something along the lines of Adobe Photoshop, 3D
Studio, Micrographix, or something similar.
(1) Killer Covers e-Book covers designed specifically for your
product at $117. They also design software boxes and e-zine
covers. I recommend taking a look at the samples. Very
professional results. http://www.killercovers.com
(2) eBook Cover Art This is not software but a service. $99 for
a professionally designed e-book cover. Nice graphics but the
site is rather unconvincing. http://www.ebook-cover-art.com
(3) Dynamite Covers Professionally designed covers starting at
$99.95. This company is owned by Simon Grabowski, CEO of
GetResponse autoresponder, Implix Corp. After processing your
payment online you are taken to a form which will let you choose
your style and provide more personal information such as title,
your name, business/product topic, etc. The guarantee a cover in
5 days or less from the date of order. Booklets, newsletters,
web-based membership cards, CD and video boxes, and tapes are
all available. Your finished cover is sent to you as an
optimized graphic by either e-mail or over the web.
http://www.dynamitecovers.com
(4) Perfect Covers Covers designed on an individual basis,
starting at $87. You can choose from e-book, report, or e-zine
cover, software box, report cover, membership card. In 3d you
can request multiple sizes. For a flat 2d image you receive the
graphic in three different sizes. You can receive add-ons such
as a matching web site header for an additional cost.
http://www.perfectcovers.com
(5) Max Covers e-Book covers and e-book mini-site graphics all
in a single package for $149.99. The package includes a 3d image
of your cover in three different sizes, matching mini-site
header, matching order button, a 2d cover image, a matching
footer image, and a matching background image for your site.
Site owned by and design work by Max Rylski. Two years
experience in site and graphic design. He offers a 72 hour
turnaround time on the first draft of your cover. One very nice
bonus is that he includes the cover design Photoshop files along
with the fonts used just in case you need to modify anything at
a later date. http://www.maxcovers.com
(6) Absolute Covers Will design e-book, cd, e-zine and magazine
covers as well as covers for reports and such. You must contact
them for a free quote. Offers anywhere from 48 hour to 5 days
for a finished product. You don't have to pay until you are
satisfied with your product. Quite unheard of in this business.
You will also get a banner image, order button, a basic web site
template, a 2d image of your cover, and a matching icon.
http://www.absolutecovers.com/5/index.php
Unless you knew about the contents of a book prior to purchasing
it, would you buy a book with a torn, faded, or even blank
cover? I am betting you will say no. I know the title would need
to be very compelling to convince me to purchase. This is why
it's important to have a professional design for your info
product cover. On the inside its content that matters. But to
stimulate a sense of credibility, you need to 'tickle' the
visual appeal.